The present invention relates to cash drawers. More specifically, the present invention relates to a cash drawer configured to receive multiple different actuation signals to open the cash drawer.
Conventional cash drawers are supported by slides or other types of bearings such that they can reciprocate into and out of a housing or frame. Such cash drawers are conventionally spring biased into the open position, but are latched in the closed position by a solenoid-driven latch.
In the past, the solenoids have often been actuated by a 12V signal or a 24V signal, depending on the particular control system in which the cash drawers were implemented. This provides a number of disadvantages. For example, manufactures and distributors of cash drawers are required to carry additional inventory such that an adequate supply of cash drawers with 12V solenoids and cash drawers with 24V solenoids are in stock. This is undesirable because of the increased cost involved.
In order to address this problem, some manufacturers developed cash drawers having dual voltage solenoids therein. However, in order to select between the various voltages, such cash drawers have often required internal jumpers to be manipulated on internal terminal blocks. Other manufacturers have provided two solenoids and expensive and bulky cable sets (such as DB9 cable connectors) have been required to select one of the two solenoids.
Still other solutions to the problem have provided solenoids in a cash drawer wherein each of the solenoids can be activated by a different voltage. However, those voltages are selected by an internal switch. Such switches are located internal to the cash drawer electronics.
Each of these different types of solutions have provided significant disadvantages. Requiring access to the internal electronics of the cash drawer can be problematic and require additional complexity in configuring a cash drawer for a particular vendor. Providing large, bulky cables (such as DB9 connectors) can be quite expensive in that they require a great deal of labor to assemble, which is undesirable. Similarly, none of the prior cash drawers have provided compatibility with more than two different voltages.
In addition, prior cash drawers have suffered from other disadvantages. For example, in order to actuate the solenoid in the cash drawer, the coil associated with the solenoid must be energized. However, when the coil de-energizes, if adequate protection is not provided, the de-energization current can damage external components to which the cash drawer is electronically connected, such as printers. Protection against this type of de-energization is referred to as fly-back protection, and many prior cash drawers have not provided fly-back protection.
In accordance with the present invention, a cash drawer is provided which can have its drawer latch solenoid actuated by one of a plurality of different voltages. In one embodiment, the plurality of different voltages includes at least three different voltages.
In another illustrative embodiment, the cash drawer of the present invention provides a multi-voltage cash drawer with fly-back protection. In one such embodiment, the fly-back protection is provided with a diode circuit wherein the diode circuit acts to direct current to appropriate coils in the solenoid.